Bla bla fascism, but I'm in favor of this experiment. The costs of bottled water are subsidized by us all and maybe forcing everyone to use the municipal water will keep it from turning into something used only by the poor and chronically underfunded.

dangelder:Bla bla fascism, but I'm in favor of this experiment. The costs of bottled water are subsidized by us all and maybe forcing everyone to use the municipal water will keep it from turning into something used only by the poor and chronically underfunded.

Really, really confused by any bellyaching like this. They are making a rule on land that they own. The same group of biatchers would scream for days if "you gubmit tell me how to rum my buzzzzness", just like they do when we try to make bullshiat gay bans illegal.

As a resident of a state affected by idiots poisoning our water supply, I fully expect that SanFran's experiment would carve out an exception for distributing these little environment killers in case of disaster or crisis. It's not like an earthquake could disrupt the delivery of water through their city or anything...

Persnickety:One of the most foolish consumer trends I've seen arise within my lifetime has been the notion of selling water in little plastic bottles. What a dumb dumb dumb idea.

It's quite the marketing ploy, isn't it?

I still can remember seeing pitchers of water served to tables. Then came this myth that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day that got pushed, but nobody could really cite any research.

That's when a lot of idiots stopped pointing and laughing at Evian drinkers and noting that Evian spelled backwards in "naive".

I thought it funny when I was given a bottled water and noticed it had a "manufacture date" all the way down to the minute when it was bottled and an expiration date exactly one year later (although not down to the minute).

I always wondered what would happen to that water one year after it was bottled.

Persnickety:One of the most foolish consumer trends I've seen arise within my lifetime has been the notion of selling water in little plastic bottles. What a dumb dumb dumb idea.

dangelder:Bla bla fascism, but I'm in favor of this experiment. The costs of bottled water are subsidized by us all and maybe forcing everyone to use the municipal water will keep it from turning into something used only by the poor and chronically underfunded.

But if someone takes their water and adds some carbonation, coloring and HFCS before selling it, you're cool with it.

Banning the selling of water on public property I can maybe defend. Banning the buying of it seems explicitly unconstitutional under Buckley v. Valeo, as reinforced by Citizens United v. FEC. Purchases are speech.

gfid:Persnickety: One of the most foolish consumer trends I've seen arise within my lifetime has been the notion of selling water in little plastic bottles. What a dumb dumb dumb idea.

It's quite the marketing ploy, isn't it?

I still can remember seeing pitchers of water served to tables. Then came this myth that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day that got pushed, but nobody could really cite any research.

That's when a lot of idiots stopped pointing and laughing at Evian drinkers and noting that Evian spelled backwards in "naive".

I thought it funny when I was given a bottled water and noticed it had a "manufacture date" all the way down to the minute when it was bottled and an expiration date exactly one year later (although not down to the minute).

I always wondered what would happen to that water one year after it was bottled.

You know that nasty plasticy taste the water gets from leaving the bottle out in the sun too long? My guess is that.

gfid:Persnickety: One of the most foolish consumer trends I've seen arise within my lifetime has been the notion of selling water in little plastic bottles. What a dumb dumb dumb idea.

It's quite the marketing ploy, isn't it?

I still can remember seeing pitchers of water served to tables. Then came this myth that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day that got pushed, but nobody could really cite any research.

That's when a lot of idiots stopped pointing and laughing at Evian drinkers and noting that Evian spelled backwards in "naive".

I thought it funny when I was given a bottled water and noticed it had a "manufacture date" all the way down to the minute when it was bottled and an expiration date exactly one year later (although not down to the minute).

I always wondered what would happen to that water one year after it was bottled.

The poison in the plastic bottle has percolated or "osmosed??" into the water. This policy should be national, IMHO.

dentalhilljack:As a resident of a state affected by idiots poisoning our water supply, I fully expect that SanFran's experiment would carve out an exception for distributing these little environment killers in case of disaster or crisis. It's not like an earthquake could disrupt the delivery of water through their city or anything...

You can still buy liter and two-liter bottles, which is more in line with what you'd have in an earthquake kit.

Molavian:Luckily, you can still buy bottled water on private property.

Like everywhere you buy it now.

It eliminates sales of bottled water, under 21 oz., on sidewalks, parks, museums, concerts (eventually)... basically all the places people look for a quick cool bottled water fix on a steamy summer's day. So now I'll have to fight through the homeless guy to get into the Walgreen's to get my Dasani.

Of course, there is much to be said on both sides and I am about to say it.

ProsOne, bottled water is unnecessary because tap water is just as good almost everywhere. It is a convenience, however, to be able to carry water with you easily. I pay $8 a month for water cooler water, but the cooler heats it, so it seems worth while as I can make good tea, coffee, etc., without having a coffee machine or electric kettle. That's a sensible use of a bottle.

Two, now that everybody can get cheap reusable bottles, you can carry tap water around and not use a lot of bottles.

Three, it is probably healthier to drink water than sugar water, so you're paying for what isn't in the bottle as much as for what is.

ConsWater is a commodity. The rich and farmers get it cheaper than dirt. The poor have to pay through the nose like in one of those SF movies where the bad guys have a monopoly on air or water or time instead of money.

Same difference.

Just as it is sometimes worth while to buy a soda from a machine at $2.00 rather than to go looking for a place that is selling them for $0.75 retail or $0.33 in bulk, it is sometimes worthwhile to buy bottled water.

Bottled water is something you should have in stock in case of emergencies, like all that tinned food nobody wants to eat but has any way. I have enough smoked oysters to throw a big party and even a tin of Spam. For the Y2K threat, I bought a can of condensed milk. There is nothing more useless than a can of condensed milk. It doesn't even look or taste like milk. It looks and tastes like condensed library paste with too much sugar in it.

I therefore have several gallons of bottled water. Because it doesn't last forever, I sometimes replace it and drink the water. It costs but it could be the difference between life and life in a high school gym.

I swear I will never step into a high school gym again unless it is to vote the feckers out or listen to Mozart played on a $2 million Stradivarius violen.

I'm sure that I could go on and on and on. But I won't bother. Nobody reads this far the farkle snoobberry twit-whistlers.

gfid:Persnickety: One of the most foolish consumer trends I've seen arise within my lifetime has been the notion of selling water in little plastic bottles. What a dumb dumb dumb idea.

It's quite the marketing ploy, isn't it?

I still can remember seeing pitchers of water served to tables. Then came this myth that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day that got pushed, but nobody could really cite any research.

That's when a lot of idiots stopped pointing and laughing at Evian drinkers and noting that Evian spelled backwards in "naive".

I thought it funny when I was given a bottled water and noticed it had a "manufacture date" all the way down to the minute when it was bottled and an expiration date exactly one year later (although not down to the minute).

I always wondered what would happen to that water one year after it was bottled.

By then the water while drinkable, wouldn't be advisable to drink due to the leeching of chemicals from the plastics

I was under the impression that there were no laws in San Francisco, at least in the Mission District, in regards to public behavior. I came to this conclusion during a three day business trip when I saw a different person shiat on the sidewalk each day that I was there.While visiting, I also experienced the absolutely worst smell I've ever encountered which, surprisingly, wasn't any of the shiatters. It was an odious stench on the wind that had the effect of taking a nasty, greasy city pigeon and fastening it directly below one's nose with duct tape that had been marinated in beef tallow. Again, this was in the Mission District. I'm sure that the rest of SF is much nicer.

Persnickety:One of the most foolish consumer trends I've seen arise within my lifetime has been the notion of selling water in little plastic bottles. What a dumb dumb dumb idea.

There is a time and palace for them, just like there is a time and a place for single serve portions of juice or soda vs. gallon or two-liter jugs. If I'm stuck in a government building waiting for something and I get thirsty, I just want one 12oz serving from the vending machine. And don't talk tome about water fountains, where I live at least, the municipal water is disgusting. (We filter it at home.)

What sticks in my craw is the wildly excessive use of those little landfill bombs. My mother buys them by the case and uses them instead of drinking from the tap. Again, the local water is crap so I can see filtering, and I could even understand buying the big two gallon refrigerator jugs of water, but she buys pallets of the little 12oz things for no discernible reason. Half her trash it seems is little plastic water bottles. THAT is the problem, not some guy stuck in the jury room at the courthouse who just wants a drink.

FreeBirdInTheHand:dentalhilljack: As a resident of a state affected by idiots poisoning our water supply, I fully expect that SanFran's experiment would carve out an exception for distributing these little environment killers in case of disaster or crisis. It's not like an earthquake could disrupt the delivery of water through their city or anything...

You can still buy liter and two-liter bottles, which is more in line with what you'd have in an earthquake kit.

I would conservatively estimate that at least 70% of the donated water we collectively received from both public and private entities in January was cases of 24-36 count bottled water, plus most stores stocked mostly bottled water. There were tanker trucks and the aforementioned gallon & liter jugs available too, but the vast majority was single serve bottles...so much so that the Boy and Girl Scouts across the region set up recycling drives to collect it all. I figure other disaster responses are similar. Strawman supposition - would San Francisco seriously turn down FEMA or private aid in a calamity because the water wasn't packaged properly?